Habits of a highly successful cereal killer, Striga

Introduction Striga is a highly successful pathogen of cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Also known as witchweed, Striga is an attractive parasitic plant whose beautiful flowers belie its noxiousness. Most cultivated cereals, including maize, millet, sorghum, and rice, are parasitized by at least one Striga species, leading to enormous economic losses. Control strategies are limited but include common agronomic practices of hand weeding, crop rotation, and general sanitization techniques. Striga-resistant crops, as well as tolerant ones, have also been used, but this resistance tends to break down with the emergence of new Striga variants. With limited and ineffective management options, Striga has continued to increase both its host range and area under infestation. In this article, we outline seven unique characteristics of Striga as a parasite of great economic importance, explore reasons for its success, and outline emerging control options.